


1 could 8e your lost 8oy

by thescyfychannel



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, including a cast of OCs who give the summoner all of the shit, it is above his paygrade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-25
Updated: 2013-10-25
Packaged: 2017-12-30 10:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1017518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thescyfychannel/pseuds/thescyfychannel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are the lowblooded Captain of the best company of Cavalreapers in the entire Empire.</p><p>There's absolutely no obstacle that you cannot overcome, no enemy that you cannot defeat.</p><p>Except a first date. That one's a toughie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1 could 8e your lost 8oy

“Tomorrow’s the big night,” muttered the commander of the highest regarded Cavalreaper squad in the Empire, as he shut the door to his upright storage case. Rufioh Nitram was not usually one to give in to nerves, but then again, Rufioh Nitram didn’t usually have a hot date with a seagrift. Who was also a highblood. And a gamblignant. And possibly the most gorgeous troll he had ever met in his (admittedly far shorter than hers) life.

“What’s tomorrow?” Rufioh spun around, coming face to face with the grinning Carrus Saibri, his second in command. Their storage case block was the most well-used in the entire commandhive, but that was a fact they were all proud of. Still, the acoustics hadn't worked out in his favor. Carrus was a blueblood, and a terror on the battlefield—and a pain in the waste chute off of it.

He ducked under Carrus's arm, shouldering him out of the way with  _completely_ necessary force. The smug bastard could take it. “None of your business, Saibri.” Hopefully, his "tough face" would be enough to deter further questions.

“D’dn’t you hear?” Apparently not. That was Apleia Losian, biggest gossip in the entire battalion. Funny enough, she was also the best at keeping secrets. Barely stifling a groan, Rufioh ducked down to grab his pack, trying to hide the bronze in his cheeks. Apleia spread her arms wide and grinned over at him, before announcing to the whole damn block:  “Capta’n’s got a flush-date!”

Saibri’s shit-eating grin was practically begging for a beating, but the Summoner managed to ignore him. Barely. “Oh really now? That seems like the sort of thing that should be put in the circular. Captain, why was that not put in the circular?"

“That’s none of your business, and I’ll thank you not to spread stories, Losian.” By now the rest of his company had gathered round, more than happy for a chance to tease their usually serious captain. “Shouldn’t you all be heading to the mess hall?”

“Ahnd leave our dearest Khaptain without any advice at all?” This was Epione Haelea, a fucking _seadweller_ , and one of the few more reticent trolls in his main squad. Of  _course_ she would chose today of all days to speak up. It just had to be one of those days. She closed her book and gave him an arch look. “The horror. I do not believe that I khould live with myself after such a transgression. Make sure that there is musikh present.”

Rufioh growled, rounding on his squad. “Then off yourself and save the enemy the trouble. I don’t need any advice!”

“Tut tut, captain. You know that we only want what’s best for you!” Carrus slung an arm around the increasingly infuriated Captain’s shoulders, leaning in with a conspiratorial air. “You’ll want to take your lucky troll to a fine establishment. Somewhere the eating’s good!”

Rufioh ducked out from under his arm with a growl, slinging his bag over a shoulder and hurrying for the exit. He barely managed to dodge Apleia, who called after him, “Don’t forget enterta’nment! Can’t have a date w’thout enterta’nment!”

Groaning, he ran the gauntlet of backslaps and bad advice as quickly as possible. Being popular  It was just his luck that the door would be blocked by Skoihn Caelig, quite possibly the biggest guy on the squad. He was a solidly built maroonblood, who almost never spoke. “M’ght r’c’mm’nd th’t y’ t’k h’r d’nc’ng?”

“Might I recommend you move before I make you regret this?” Skoihn gave him the typical stoic nod (that Rufioh could have SWORN was hiding a grin) and stepped out of his way. His squad’s shouts echoed down the hall as he sprinted for fresh air and freedom.

 

“Don’t pa'l on the f'rst date!”

“Bring her something! Like flowers!”

“Idiot, he shoold bring hyr food. Or y waypon?”

“Make sure you have an escape route if it goes badly!”

 

Then, mercifully, the sound of a scuffle drowned out the yells, and Rufioh sighed in relief. Sure, he didn’t have a plan, but it couldn’t be all that hard to come up with something. Couldn't be much harder than concealing a mutation from the entirety of the Empire and rising up to be the first brownblooded company commander in nearly the entire history of Trollkind. Coming up with a date plan would be easy.

 

* * *

 

There was no way on earth he could come up with a plan in half an hour. Tying his wings down and getting dressed had been the easy part, but it was half an hour to date time, and he had no date planned out. “Right. I’ll wing it, can’t go wrong there. I’m the expert on wings.”

Feeling reassured, the Summoner climbed out his window and straight into a huge spray of apple blossoms. After sputtering and trying to bat the flowers out of his eyes, Rufioh groaned, remembering some of that horrorterrors-damned advice. “Nope. I’m not bringing her flowers. It’s not happening.” Mindfang was fire and storms and vengeance (not to mention completely gorgeous) and he was _not_ going to bring her flowers like some damned six-sweeper.

 

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, he was knocking on the door of Mindfang’s cabin, cradling a bouquet of apple blossoms that had been delicately wrapped in cerulean tissue paper. The door swings outward, and he has to jump back to avoid being clipped. Even if Rufioh’s not much of an expert, he’s certain that the cerulean blood’s eyes light up when she sees him. And then they drop downwards to the flowers. And back up to his hair.

“I, uh. Thought you might like these?” He held out the bouquet, attempting a winning smile.

“So you broke an entire branch off the tree to give them to me?” Mindfang gave him an arch look that’s almost reminiscent of one particularly terrifying drill instructor. "There are flowers in your hair as well, you realize. Did the branch perhaps offend you in some way?"

That was hardly fair, he’d even made sure to snap off most of the rogue twigs. And added tissue paper. This totally qualified as a bouquet. “It was a _small_ branch. No one will miss it." Had he really missed that? Rufioh quickly brushed a hand through his hair, only to be surrounded by falling petals. Goddammit. This was really not his season, and he didn't even want to _think_ about the state that his horns were probably in.

Mindfang laughed and accepted the flowers gracefully. “I’ll put these in some water before we go. What’s the plan for tonight anyway?” Summoner opens his mouth, about to make up some sort of explanation—but she’s already off down the hall, which gives him a moment or two to think. Right. Somewhere that would suit her tastes. A fine establishment was out of the question. Even if he could afford it, they might not stoop to serving lowbloods. Good eating, though, he could manage that.

There's a knock on the door, and he blinks. Shit, she's back already. Rufioh gives his lovely date a sheepish grin. “So I know a place that does decent maroonblood food. If you’d, uh, like that sort of thing?” God, he’s being so awkward. Mindfang probably had flush-dates with trolls way more suave and sophisticated than him every day of the week. This was going horribly, and they hadn't even left.

“That sounds just fine.” She gives him a smile. Maybe this whole “winging” it thing wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

 

* * *

 

This whole winging it thing was a _terrible_ idea. Within ten minutes of entering the tavern, Mindfang had managed to get a hold of some alcohol, insult three trolls, and start a tavern-wide fight. Rufioh had barely managed to snag their food, toss money at the hapless waitstaff, and drag his date bodily from the restaurant. "Come _on_ , Nitram, I can take them!" So much for entertainment.

"I _know_ you can take them, Spinneret, but that's hardly the point." Oh Handmaid's needles, were those asshole olivebloods chasing them? Cavalreaper commander he might be, but taking on five trolls who were nearly twice his size was a bad decision any night of the perigee. "The point is that we're on a date and attempting to get to know one another better. We can't exactly do that if you're beating someone up." She huffed, but finally stopped struggling.

After a few moments more, she tapped him on the horn. "As romantic as it is to be carried over your shoulder like a sack of grain, would you mind putting me down?"

His cheeks flushed, and he set her down carefully. "Oh, uh, right, sorry. I didn't really, uh, mean to? It seemed like the fastest way to get out, and I didn't really come up with an escape route for that particular tavern, although I don't think they'll ever let me back in? So I guess that's not a problem anymore." Rufioh rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not really looking her in the eye. "I did save our food?"

That won him a laugh, and she hooked her arm through his. "Not even an hour into this date, and we already started a riot and procured sustenance. I might venture to say that this is going quite well."

"We still need to eat, though. There's this nice sort of hill that overlooks the ocean, if you'd like."

 

* * *

 

The moons hung high in the sky when they finished off the last of the tavern cuisine. Mindfang had tried similar things before, which was surprising to hear about a highblood, but the gamblignants tended to care more about ability than blood most of the time. Still, she'd pronounced it the best of its kind, before lamenting the fire they'd seen as they exited the town. It seemed like that particular establishment might not be open for a while.

So far, so good. But the conversation was winding down, and there are only so many ways to avoid saying "So yeah, I happen to know that dragon who ate your arm, she's a real sugargrub once you get to know her." Somehow, Summoner found his mind wandering back to his squad's completely awful advice. Dancing and music. Yeah. He could manage that.

 

Spinneret blinked when he jumped to his feet and offered her a hand. "Would you honor me with a dance, my lady?" Oh Demoness, she was going to crack up laughing wasn't she. "Uh, I mean—" She smirked, taking his hand and pulling herself up.

"I would be delighted to, save for the fact that we are lacking any sort of music."

Now that was a problem he could deal with. He gave her a cheeky grin and swept her into his arms. "Don't worry about that, I've got it under control." A few songbeasts were nearby, and it was a moment's effort to coax them into a melody he knew fairly well. "And I'll even provide accompaniment."

 

That wins him a smile, and she laughs, dizzy-drunk as he is on the feeling of being alive (and maybe in love). Music and dancing, who would've thought?

 

* * *

 

He brings her back before dawn, and they stand outside her cabin for a moment, just holding hands, foreheads pressed together. Her eyes don't match, but he's been told that they never have, and it doesn't really bother him. "You could stay the day, you know." She's more cautious, more guarded, and some part of him wonders if things weren't supposed to usually happen the other way around. But he smiles at her and leans in to steal a quick kiss.

"As much as I'd enjoy that, it'll give me something to look forward to tomorrow." Mindfang rolls her eyes, but she's happy, he's getting better at telling, and he kisses her again. "I'll see you then?" She nods, and lets go of his hands, reluctant to part. He pauses, just before he leaves the ship. "You could always run away with me, you know."

Her smile seems a little sad this time. "Maybe someday. Get going before the dawn catches you, Summoner." He flashes her a quick grin, then leaps from the deck. They'd always have tomorrow, after all.

**Author's Note:**

>  _I can be your lost boy, your last chance  
> _ _Your everything better plan_  
>  — Somewhere in Neverland, All Time Low
> 
> So this was written for enecola, the mod of THREE amazing askblogs: Ask the Pirate Queen, Ask Spinneret, and Ask Ribbon Vriska. (http://askthepiratequeen.tumblr.com/ ||| http://askspinneret.tumblr.com/ ||| http://ask-ri88on-vriska.tumblr.com/)  
>    
> Two songs for this one!  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1J6_I9taFU ((First Date - Blink 182))  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwGcbxX_1w4 ((Somewhere in Neverland (acoustic version) - All Time Low))  
> 


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